technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...
technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...
technical guidance documents - Institute for Health and Consumer ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
3.6.2.1 Calculation of PNEC using the equilibrium partitioning method<br />
EFFECTS ASSESSMENT<br />
The equilibrium partitioning method may not be suitable <strong>for</strong> lipophilic compounds or substances<br />
with a specific mode of action nor <strong>for</strong> species that are exposed primarily through food (Van<br />
Gestel, 1992). Furthermore, this approach does not consider the effects on soil organisms of<br />
chemicals that are adsorbed to soil particles <strong>and</strong> taken up by ingestion.<br />
The PNECsoil is calculated as follows:<br />
Explanation of symbols<br />
K − =<br />
RHO<br />
PNEC soil<br />
soil water<br />
soil<br />
• PNEC water •<br />
1000<br />
PNECwater Predicted No Effect Concentration in water [mg . l -1 ]<br />
RHOsoil bulk density of wet soil [kg . m -3 ] eq. (18)<br />
Ksoil-water partition coefficient soil water [m 3. m -3 ] eq. (24)<br />
PNECsoil Predicted No Effect Concentration in soil [mg . kg -1 ]<br />
The applicability of the equilibrium partitioning method has been evaluated less <strong>for</strong> soil than <strong>for</strong><br />
sediment-dwelling organisms. Van Gestel <strong>and</strong> Ma (1993) have shown the model to be valid <strong>for</strong><br />
short-term toxicity of several chlorophenols, chlorobenzenes <strong>and</strong> chloroanilines to earthworms.<br />
In order to take uptake by soil ingestion into account the same approach is used as <strong>for</strong> the<br />
derivation of the PNECsediment. Thus, the PECsoil/PNECsoil ratio is increased by a factor of 10 <strong>for</strong><br />
compounds with a log Kow > 5 (or <strong>for</strong> compounds with a corresponding adsorption or binding<br />
behaviour, e.g. ionisable substances).<br />
In principle, toxicity data <strong>for</strong> aquatic organisms cannot replace data <strong>for</strong> soil dwelling organisms.<br />
This is because the effects on aquatic species can only be considered as effects on soil organisms<br />
that are exposed exclusively to the soil pore water of the soil (Samsøe-Petersen <strong>and</strong> Pedersen,<br />
1994). There<strong>for</strong>e, if the PECsoil/PNECsoil ratio that is calculated using the equilibrium<br />
partitioning method is greater than 1, tests with soil organisms should be considered as an<br />
essential requirement <strong>for</strong> a refined effects assessment.<br />
3.6.2.2 Calculation of PNEC using assessment factors<br />
The same assessment factors used <strong>for</strong> the aquatic compartment (see Table 16) are applied to the<br />
terrestrial compartment (see Table 20). The size of the assessment factor there<strong>for</strong>e again<br />
depends on the type of data that are available i.e. short-term or long-term toxicity test, the<br />
number of trophic levels tested <strong>and</strong> the general uncertainties in predicting ecosystem effects<br />
from laboratory data. The assessment factors suggested <strong>for</strong> the soil compartment are not based<br />
on comprehensive experience. As already stated in<strong>for</strong>mation from tests with soil organisms will<br />
only be available <strong>for</strong> some compounds. Furthermore, in most cases this in<strong>for</strong>mation will be from<br />
short-term tests with earthworms. This means that a deeper underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the difference<br />
between short- <strong>and</strong> long-term toxicity <strong>for</strong> several taxonomic groups <strong>and</strong> the difference between<br />
laboratory <strong>and</strong> field tests is needed. The choice of taxonomic groups <strong>for</strong> which toxicity data are<br />
necessary (con<strong>for</strong>m the base-set of algae, Daphnia <strong>and</strong> fish <strong>for</strong> the aquatic environment), is also<br />
a point of discussion. A dataset comprising of toxicity data <strong>for</strong> primary producers, consumers<br />
<strong>and</strong> decomposers is preferred. However, an internationally accepted set of st<strong>and</strong>ardised<br />
(72)<br />
117